A DOZEN pubs in the Dublin area would offer customers a new draught beer, a Co Meath micro-brewery, Celtic Brew, said last night. Finian's Original Gold, a malt-style beer, will be on sale from this weekend at around £2.40 a pint.

The company said the beer was brewed in small batches at Enfield by a staff of eight. The total investment of around £1.6 million was funded by a BES share issue which attracted a number of publicans. Celtic Brew said it planned eventually to extend its distribution in Ireland, Britain and the United States.

The firm's general manager, Mr Dean McGuinness, said Finian's was "a premium quality, craft-brewed beer with a rich flavour and character all of its own which makes it stand out from others".